Britney Spears Says She Was "Scared" During Her Iconic 2001 VMAs Performance

The MTV VMAs are just around the corner (this year's show takes place on Tuesday, Sept. 12), and the awards ceremony is practically the epicenter of iconic moments (and campy fashion). While Britney Spears is behind many of these newsworthy happenings, she's revisiting one specific VMAs performance in honor of her upcoming memoir, out Oct. 24.

On Wednesday, Spears shared an Instagram post that included a video clip from her 2001 "I'm a Slave 4 U" performance, during which she danced around the stage wearing a now-famous bra top and tiny shorts look while holding a giant white-and-yellow python.

"One of my favorite performances was with an albino python 😳🐍💃🏼 …" she wrote in her caption, before going onto explain that no matter how calmed she looked on stage, carrying around a giant snake was (naturally) a little unsettling. "I still remember how scared I felt when I was handed this snake and took the stage !!!"

Like a true performer, Spears stayed professional and delivered an unforgettable show despite having. And also like a true celeb and businesswoman, the singer took this moment to plug her book, The Woman In Me.

"I talked more about this performance and other favorites in my book #TheWomanInMe …," she said. "I can’t wait for you to read it on October 24th 😉🌹"

The "I'm a Slave 4 U" production was just one of Britney's many memorable VMAs moments. How could anyone forget her bedazzled sheer jumpsuit from her "Oops ... I Did It Again" performance or the 2003 kiss heard 'round the world between Spears, Madonna, and Christina Aguilera? The Woman In Me is available for pre-order now at amazon.com.